Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I used an Evenflo pump, and bought the 4-oz Evenflo bottles that fit
    into the pump.  When we graduated to 8-oz bottles, I already had the
    Evvenflo caps and nipples, so I just got the bigger Evenflo bottles.

    	I breast fed and decided to a bunch of the Playtex nursers.  What 
    a dumb idea, to this day Shayne will have nothing to do with them and 
    only wants the regular old nipples, Craig's step-mom works in a
    hospital and got a bunch from there.  I have ended up giving all the 
    Playtex nursers away. 
    	I would suggest you get a small variety and try those first to find 
    out which type your child prefers and then buy more later. 

    We use the Playtex system, I think--it has the one-use liners,
    anyway.
    
    It's easy to make sure there's no air in the bottle with them,
    but since we've never used anything else, we can't compare.
    We just wash the rest (bottle frame, nipples, etc.) in hot water
    and soap, and it's quite easy.
    
    We picked this set-up because Barbara was pumping, and used the
    liners to hold milk (in the freezer) for future use.
    
    			-John Bishop

    Theoretically, the Nuk nipples most resemble the shape your nipple
    takes in the baby's mouth and is therefore less likely to cause nipple
    confusion.   They are also supposed to be best orthodontically, though
    for occassional use this might not concern you.
    
    There are similar versions of the Nuks in clear silicone.  They can go
    in the dishwasher, Nuks can't.
    
    This style comes in a newborn, regular and older baby size.
    
    My son switches from breast to Nuk very easily but this is *so*
    individual.  When you get around to actually doing this just watch
    carefully so you don't risk the baby rejecting your breast.
    
    If you are enamored of the disposable bottle liners, these can always
    be inserted in a standard bottle so you can use the nipple of your
    choice.
    
    =ss

    Evenflo now makes a disposable bottle that has three different types of
    nipples that can go with it--the standard regular bottle nipple, the
    type that comes with the playtex nursers (flatter kind) and the
    orthodontic nipple. I plan on buying the Evenflo disposable system and 
    see which nipple my Jan. baby likes best. I don't know if they're available
    in silicone --I hope so. The silicone was so much easier to wash and
    lasted longer than the rubber ones--never got sticky/gummy and were
    easier to tell if they were really clean.
    
      Sandy

    We have used the playtex bottles for all three kids. Always used the
    rubber kind until the end of the bottle months for our daughter (2nd
    child), then we switched to the silicon ones and *loved* them! So easy
    to keep clean, and didn't get icky.
    We tried starting our youngest right off on the silicon ones, but he
    just couldn't manage them. They are stiffer than the rubber ones, and
    he just couldn't get the hang of them....they resulted in milk
    everywhere! So we used the rubber ones until he was about 4 mos. old
    and then switched to the silicone ones again. This time he could handle
    'em fine after a couple of bottles practice. And that's what we used
    till he was weaned about 2 months ago.
    --dave--

    I used the Evenflo and Gerber glass bottles with my first. I liked the 
    fact that you could get any shaped nipples to go with them (regular, 
    Nuk, Pur, etc). He liked the Nuk nipples. We went on a 3 weeks vacation 
    when he was 6 months old and I decided that we better take the Playtex 
    system for convenience. He wouldn't even go near those nipples. We 
    survived 3 weeks with 2 bottles and 3 nipples. So, I personally
    wouldn't try switching around alot.
    
    You can now get the orthodontic nipples for the Playtex nurser. It
    isn't the bottle that matter to the baby - it is the nipple. With
    Playtex there is now a choice. 
    
    With the second child, I intend to go with the Playtex system and use
    the orthodontic nipples. It has to save time when you are still
    sterilizing bottles. It will only be nipples to sterilize now!!!
    
    My $.02's.
    
    Andrea
                                       

    With respect to the nurser bottles, I have found the Playtex bottle
    liners to be of lower quality than either the Gerber or Evenflo liners.
    We are forever having leaks with the Playtex liner (at least 3-5 times
    a week) whereas almost never with the other two products.   Is this
    anyone else's experience?   I also prefer the Gerber and Evenflo
    liners because of the oz. markings on the bag.
    
    Carol

    Boy, do we know what you mean about the liners! With the playtex ones,
    we ended up wearing more formula than anything else. We liked both
    Gerber and evenflo, fo strength, but especially liked the markings on
    the Gerber ones, and those were the ones we usually bought, unless the
    Evenflo ones were having a great sale!
    --dave--

    I've used the glass evenflo bottles with all three kids -- I
    couldn't see using up all those extra plastic liners when I could
    just wash and reuse the other bottles.  
    
    None of my three would have a thing to do with an orthodontic
    nipple -- and David even preferred the orthodontic pacifier!  But
    when it came to the nipples, he liked the old conventional one
    better, I think because he could suck it deeper into his mouth.  I
    know he really tugged on me.
    
    --bonnie

    
    We used the Playtex bottles because my sister raised two kids on them
    and swore by them.
    
    JA had lactose-intolerance AND a sensitive stomach.  Pedi suggested we
    use them ... but we were already!  JA got used to their "unique" nipple
    shape and STRONGLY_PREFERS them over the typical nipple ... but will
    drink from a regular nipple if it's forced on her.
    
    A friend told me that Playtex made the strongest liners, so I never
    tried Gerber or Evenflo.  Once in a while Playtex liners go on sale and
    I'll buy several boxes ... but I curse them 1X-2X-3X.../week when the
    liner fails (usually detected when filling ... vs. after the kid takes
    the bottle).  Liners can be expensive when used for a year, BUT I'd
    probably do Playtex AGAIN.
    
    Thanks for the "plug" for Gerber ... I need liners and will give Gerber
    a whirl!
    
    Dottie
    

    I used the Gerber bottles for the most part, with the standard nipple
    it came with.  For a lot of reasons already mentioned including the playtex 
    seemed to fail frequently, and for some reason AJ would have nothing to do 
    with the Playtex nipple, he outright refused.  I think the holes in the 
    playtex must be "slower".  Beside that I only ended up boiling the
    nipples and collar, not a whole bottle.  I kept a few clear plastic
    bottles in the house for stand by, in case I ran out of liners.  I
    never became hooked on the ounce lines, it's not a real accurate
    measure.
    
    My advise as for cost is to steer away from buying them in the
    supermarket, but to get them at a Toys R Us, or Child World type place,
    the market prices seemed about a third higher.  For that matter almost
    novelty from the baby aisle is over priced!!
    
    Lyn
    

 Cory started on bottles when he started daycare at 5 1/2 months.  On the 
recommendation of my sister-in-law, we also used the Platex bottles with the
plastic liners.  Cory did quite well with them and even now, prefers that nipple
over others.  

I also found that we had problems with leakage and determining how much was in 
the bottle and how much Cory drank.  They did work well for freezing breastmilk.

I think that if we do it again, we'll go with "regular" bottles and just 
sterilize them in the dishwasher.


- Terry

    I used the Playtex nursers only because I got a bunch of free
    samples and because I needed the liners for freezing milk.
    I never ever had a problem with the liners leaking!  Imagine
    that, I'm the only one so far.  I usually think if something
    can go wrong, it will choose me to go wrong with.  Glad it didn't
    this time.  I even used to overfill the bags sometimes and when
    the milk froze, it would ooze out the top where the twistie was,
    but the liner never leaked.
    
    Once I was done with breastmilk from a bottle, we switched over
    to any ole' bottle.  We used Gerber or Cherubs, anything on sale!
    I thought the liner business was too expensive to use for regular
    formula.  We're lucky.  Eric is such a good, flexible, go with the
    flow baby who was happy with any kind of nipple/bottle.  
    
    Donna
    

    Donna,
    
    I'll take a stab at why you might not have had leakage problems
    with the Playtex.   You said you were using the for breastmilk,
    so I'd bet you didn't use a microwave for heating.   Not to get
    into the nuke vs. no nuke argument (again!) but I'd bet that
    might be the source of the Playtex leakage problem for the rest
    of us.
    
    carol

    Bingo.  I never nuked them.
    
    Donna
    

    One bit of advice - if you plan to bottle feed occasionally, be sure
    to start your baby IMMEDIATELY on breast with one bottle daily.  I've
    heard many variations on waiting x amount of time before introducing
    the bottle to ensure an ample milk supply, but one bottle/day from
    the beginning won't hurt (IMHO).  I've seen soooooo mothers whose kids
    would not under _any_ circumstances take to the bottle once they were
    used to nursing only.  Picture yourself only able to run out to do
    errands, shopping, etc. in-between 3-4 hour feedings for the first 6
    months of your child's life.  If this fits with your lifestyle that's
    fine, but it may not!
    
    For my experience, Samantha took right to the Playtex bottles.  . 15 
    I also didn't find any leakage, but I didn't use a microwave, either.  
    Then, at 12 weeks, she started teething and the dr. recommended a faster
    nipple - after experiencing that (Evenflo), she would not, not, not go
    back to Playtex!!!  She got lazy, I guess.
    
    .12 - re: fast/slow nipples.  My pedi recommends a slow nipple, i.e.
    Playtex or Nuk, from the beginning (if not nursing), her theory being
    it helps the baby to control their hunger better.  A faster nipple i.e.
    Evenflo allows the baby to eat so fast they don't know when they're
    full until it's too late, thus possible leading to overfeeding,
    vomiting, and obesity now, and later in life from eating when not full. 
    Yet another consideration in the seemingly easy decision of which
    bottle to use!
    
    .8 - When I do it again, I'll give the Gerber liners a try.  I really
    missed the oz. markings on the Playtex liners!
    
    

	A reminder:  If you are expressing breastmilk, DON'T use glass bottles.
The antibodies (one of the main reasons for expressing vs. formula) tend to 
cling to the side of the glass bottles.

	Tracey 

    I guess I've/we've got alot of deciding to do.  I suppose we should
    also let the baby have something to say (even though he/she won't be
    talking right away) about it!  I'll try the ones I get (whichever they
    may be) first, and take it from there.  I just can't believe how much
    there is to take into consideration!!!! 
    
    I'm glad I enterred this note!
    
    MEL :^)

         Another thing that is nice about the disposable liners (like .15 I
    never had any problems and I NUKED them!), is that you don't have to
    hold the bottle for them as they get older.  They can drink out of it
    like a straw.  So if you are looking for freedom down the road, this is
    something to consider.
    

    My wife and I used the Playtex bottles w/Gerber liners. Like others we
    had problems with the Playtex liners (never nuked). I do think that
    they lessen the amount of air that gets into the baby (vs unlined
    bottles). 
    
    Haven't been in the business of washing the darn things for over a year
    now...took care of our niece the other weekend and just seeing the
    bottles lined up by the sink gave me shudders. I can't think how many
    times I washed those cylinders, caps, nipples, and rings (I often
    wished the whole thing was disposable!).
    
    JR

    re: .19, not using glass
    
    I never heard that before.  I heard that they cling to the sides
    of plastic bottles, though.  Did I cross up my memories, or . . .?
    
    --bonnie

    re: .19 re .23
    
    Bonnie, yes, I think that your memory got frazzled.  I, too, heard
    that some of the "goodness" of breast milk would cling to glass
    bottles.
    
    carol

We had problems with most liners if they were heated in a microwave ...
but rarely did one leak otherwise.

    re: .19 .23 .24
    
    I wouldn't worry too much about glass bottles for expressing milk.
    
    The Brigham & Women's Hospital NICU gives sterile glass water bottles
    for expressed milk for preemies.  If it's okay with them... it's okay
    with me.
    
    corinne

    re:  .19 .23 .24 .26
    
    FWIW, I heard from my pedi, too, not to use glass for expressed breast
    milk for the same reason.
    
    CH
    

    There is inconclusive research on whether or not the antibodies cling
    to glass.  Like many other health issues, a lot of people decide to
    take an indication as fact.  But that's why you hear people asserting
    you must not use glass and other reputable sources doing it.
    
    I think I would trade off how often the baby was taking a bottle
    against the indications that plastic molecules may be found in foods
    pacakged in plastic containers.
    
    =ss

    I talked to the pediatrician about nursing and bottle feeding. He
    suggested that I introduce the bottle no sooner than 4 weeks old and no
    later than 8 weeks old. 

    My son, Daniel, has shown no signs of rejecting the Playtex Nursers.
    The shape of the nipple is close to the real thing, so I think that
    makes the transition easier. He has two bottles a day and nurses at the
    other feedings. He does not like the regular pointed nipples. 

    I guess trial and error is the only way to find what will work for your
    little one.
    
    Good luck!
    Mom of a 9 week old
    Norma